DALLAS — The light from a rising sun pierced through the glass of a hotel suite this morning, a sign to its bleary-eyed inhabitants that their time had come. The newly assembled front office of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim had just worked another 21-hour day, but as baseball's winter meetings came to a close, they hoped their efforts had pushed them to the brink of a coup.

Only a week ago, they couldn't have imagined being in this position. But as they ate the same bagels and sipped on the same orange juice they'd grown tired of during this grueling week, word came through over a text message, and then a phone call.

Pujols, the lifelong St. Louis Cardinal, agreed in principle to a 10-year contract worth $254 million. It is the second-richest deal in baseball history behind the 10-year, $275 million contract the Yankees lavished on Alex Rodriguez before the 2008 season.

So ended one of the greatest bidding wars in baseball history, leaving the nouveau-riche Miami Marlins empty-handed even after a heavy pursuit, the world champion Cardinals reeling at the loss of their homegrown icon, and the resurgent Angels beaming at the prospect of a new conquest.

"I can't say in my wildest dreams I thought we'd be sitting here today," said general manager Jerry DiPoto, who grew up in Toms River and over the past two days orchestrated the Angels' stunning spree.

In one remarkable morning, the Angels also reeled in C.J. Wilson, the top pitcher on the free-agent market, who agreed to a five-year, $77.5 million deal. As an added bonus, they pried Wilson from their division rivals, the Texas Rangers, who had leaned on his arm to win the past two American League pennants.

Yet, Wilson's addition pales in comparison to the impact of bringing in Pujols, who at 31 is a sure Hall of Famer after 11 splendid seasons.

Pujols instantly improves an offense ranked just 10th in the American League in runs per game (4.12) and slugging (.402).

With a mandate from Arte Moreno, the Angels this winter have spent $330.5 million to fulfill their ambitious owner's wishes, with a bulk of that sum spent today before lunch. A year ago, the Angels emerged from these meetings empty-handed, despite trying to lure Carl Crawford and Cliff Lee.

They finished last season in second place, once again falling short of winning their first title since 2002, a span that has seen five fruitless trips to the playoffs.

"This domino effect is kicked into gear by Arte Moreno," said DiPoto, who was hired in October. "And this is a pretty unique opportunity. Arte has made it very clear, he wants to win championships, he wants to win rings."

The Marlins and Cardinals were both believed to be Pujols' likely landing spots, with the Angels emerging only in the last few days -- though executives hinted they began laying groundwork earlier. Still, the signing stunned the establishment. Word of Pujols' signing spread as rival executives, most of them tired from an exhausting week, gathered in a ballroom for the annual Rule 5 draft.

"I got a text from somebody and didn't understand it," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. "And it now makes sense. They were making a crack about Anaheim being the surprise team and being real. I guess it's not a surprise. I still didn't believe it. I guess now I do."

In Pujols, the Angels landed a three-time National League MVP and a two-time World Series champion who has made his stamp on the game with 445 career home runs. But beyond just his on-field production, Pujols' signing represents something greater.

Established in 1961, the Angels played four of their first five seasons in Dodger Stadium before joining in the flight to suburban Orange County in 1966. Yet, the dynamic between the two franchises remained unchanged, with the more established Los Angeles Dodgers as landlords and the Angels as tenants in sprawling Southern California.

Not anymore. The Angels' big push comes as the Dodgers, racked by years of infighting under the rule of exiled owner Frank McCourt, wallow through one of the low points in franchise history.

"Winning breeds interest," DiPoto said. "And we are setting ourselves up to start next season with an opportunity to be good."

That opportunity also comes at a price. The Angels can look to the Yankees for several examples.

Rodriguez, whose production has slowed, is still owed $143 million on a contract that runs through 2017. A.J. Burnett, whose inconsistency has tested the Yankees' patience, is owed $33 million over the next two years.

Both are among the long-term contracts that have forced the Yankees to check spending this offseason.

It is a fate the Angels are tempting with Pujols, who turns 32 in January and will be 41 at the end of his contract.

"He hits like he's 27," DiPoto said, dismissing concerns.

Of course, those questions will remain for another day. Besides, the Angels seemed far too tired for perspective. Consider how the Angels learned the news of Pujols' signing.

"You think about it, and you look at each other," Angels assistant general manager Scott Servais said, recalling the text message that signaled victory. "Is this for real?"

The Angels had just climbed a rung in baseball's long-established caste system.

Yet, there was no celebration in the Angels' executive suite, no popping of champagne, no rambunctious outbursts. As the sun rose over a changed landscape, all they mustered through their bleary-eyed satisfaction was a few shrugs, a measured response after emerging from the shadows.